TRON

· 2 versions exist! A harder version was released when unusually high scores were being reported. The easy (original) version gives you 1000 time units on the first Grid Bug scene; the harder version gives you 500.

· Grid Bug stage: It’s possible to enter the I/O tower when the timer is at 0.

· Grid Bug stage: Sometimes a Solar Sailor will appear at the start, sailing across the top of the screen.  It will drop a “bit”, which is worth 5,000 bonus points if you can grab it!  There’s a 50% chance of it appearing, but only on certain levels, and some levels can never deploy a bit prize.  The check whether or not to deploy the bit prize has 3 steps. First, it checks what I call the difficulty.  This is dependent on the game level and on the actual difficulty setting which is set in the service mode.  If this value is less than 9, a bit will never be deployed.  Next, it checks a value from a table based on which pattern of grid bugs is being played.  There are 9 patterns.  Of the 9, only 3 have a value which will allow for the bit prize to appear.  If the pattern is not correct, a bit will never be deployed.  Finally, the game generates a random number and looks at one of the bits.  If it is clear (50% chance), it does not deploy the bit prize.  If it is set (50% chance), a bit prize is deployed.  The random number is generated from the Z80 R register, which is an excellent way to generate an extremely random number.  It’s the same register that is used for random fruit prizes in Ms. Pac-Man past the banana level.  The test for the bit prize is called every time the grid bugs screen is started.  So, if a player dies on the grid bug screen, this test is called again and could deploy a bit, or not, depending on the factors listed above.  {Don Hodges}

· Light Cycle stage: At the start on level 4, push the joystick LEFT, and let go - don't speed up at all.  Just before you crash into the lower left corner of the grid, all 3 enemy cycles will magically crash into a wall or each other.  {Mike Smolowitz}

· Tank stage: If no part of your tank is touching the white line running through the center of each corridor, the enemy’s tank fire cannot hit you.

· Take stage: In higher levels of the Tank game (when the Recognizers appear), as long as you sit in a dead-end corner, they won’t go after you, or even fire at you!  {Scott Lawrence}

· Tank stage: It’s possible to move halfway into the central "transporter diamond", just far enough to get off the white line.  You can then pick the enemy tanks off at will. The enemy tanks can still ram you, though.

· The score counter rolls over at 1 million. Also, you don’t get another free guy if you pass 10k again. Strategies and patterns for each of the 4 games can be found in the January 1983 issue of Joystik magazine.

· The 12 level names (named after computer languages or terms) are: RPG, COBOL, BASIC, FORTRAN, SNOBOL, PL1, PASCAL, ALGOL, ASSEMBLY, OS, JCL, and USER.

· The initials for the programming team are on the high score table (at power up), along with those of Bill Adams’ children(?):

· BUG: If you use the Tank stage safe spot, one of the 6 audio channels drops out, causing a whine-siren noise.  {Scott Lawrence}

· BUG: If you enter the I/O tower when the timer is exactly at 99, the klaxon horn will continue to sound even as you are transported up.  {Matt J. McCullar}

· BUG: Occasionally you’ll have the ability for rapid fire on the MCP stage on the first level.

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